Thanks for posting those links. I knew right away that Michelle did not skate to "Close Without Touching" for either a sp or a lp and especially not in 1996 since I remember most of her program titles by heart. She skated to Romanza (sp) and Salome (lp) for 1995-1996 season.

I had completely forgotten that Karen Kwan skated to Close Without Touching in 1996, although the music sounded familiar. I did recall that Karen skated two lovely programs at U.S. Nats in 1996, placing 5th overall. Again thanks for the links.

After seeing both outfits/ programs, it seems to me that Karen's lovely skate as well as her costume were inspirations for Christina's program and costume. They also both have similar lines (long legs, and long expressive arms).

Re overuse of Carmen music, ITA. There are so many more interesting choices. It seems as if skaters/ coaches/ choreographers either don't know enough about music or they just tend to rely too much on the familiar and proven when it comes to music for skating.

ETA:

I do enjoy V/M's unique interpretation which I agree goes beyond skin deep. Still too much Carmen has been used in figure skating.

Michelle's 1999 short program was utterly unique in that it did not use the music of Bizet at all. Lori Nichol pieced together material from the "Carmen Suite" by then-avant garde Russian composer Rodio Shchedrin, scored for strings and percussion (mainly percussion ); from the Carmen Fantasy, adapted by Nichol's favorite violinist, Nadia Salermo-Sonnenberg, from the score of the 1947 Joan Crawford movie Humoresque by Franz Waxman; and from the score of the 1983 movie "Carmen" which featured a dual story line of two modern people playing out the Carmen tragedy in real life.

Michelle did not try to portray a character of tell a story at all. Unless the story was, awesome athlete tries to win national championship.

Yes, interesting that different cuts of music were used. Michelle also wore black a la V/M. ITA that Michelle was not portraying a character but more an emotion.

There are pieces of music I never tire of and Carmen is one of them. I think there have been some dreadful Carmen interpretations over the years, and some great ones, but great music is always great music, whether it's Carmen, Nutcracker or Swan Lake. Like many others, Krylova's Carmen is the one I remember.

I loved V&M's Carmen and can't wait to see what it looks like by Worlds.

It's the lifts that particularly bug me in V&M's Carmen. Do you really like the one where Moir's face is in Virtue's crotch? Or the one where Virtue is rotated while lying on her back carried like a sack of potatoes in a rotational lift? It's creative but ugly.

It's the lifts that particularly bug me in V&M's Carmen. Do you really like the one where Moir's face is in Virtue's crotch? Or the one where Virtue is rotated while lying on her back carried like a sack of potatoes in a rotational lift? It's creative but ugly.

Well, we'll have to agree to differ

For me, this is the most exciting FD I've seen in years, both artistically and technically. I have no problem with the lifts. (And I never saw her looking remotely like a sack of potatoes.)

It's the lifts that particularly bug me in V&M's Carmen. Do you really like the one where Moir's face is in Virtue's crotch? Or the one where Virtue is rotated while lying on her back carried like a sack of potatoes in a rotational lift? It's creative but ugly.

The crotch one? Yes, I think it's pretty epic - not at all ugly. The second half of the combination lift? It's okay. But the straight line lift that opens it? Stunning. The curve lift? Blazing.

Of all the questions PJ Kwong could have asked Patrick after SC, I can't believe she chose one about Carmen! Seriously? I love how Patrick just laughed and smiled about it though. Carmen is great music, but I'm glad we won't have to add his name to the ever-growing list of Carmens in figure skating.

It's the lifts that particularly bug me in V&M's Carmen. Do you really like the one where Moir's face is in Virtue's crotch?

I really do, because as I said in another thread, it fits the story and theme they are trying to portray so well.

Originally Posted by all that

What storyline are you following? Because the last two lifts made sense to me. The first of the last two is during the "romantic" portion where they are both in love with each other and enjoying that love. The straight line I think is a take off of this lift in the Roland Petit ballet: http://operanut.net/wp-content/uploa...EndingPose.jpg

The last rotational lift is where Carmen and Don Jose are fighting, each trying to be dominant, with Carmen trying to remain free rather than subjugated by Don Jose. The lift is exactly what everyone thinks it is: Carmen jumps on his face, trying to be dominant; he obliges so well that she falls into an orgasm, and the struggle continues.

Of course, this is just how I saw it. I'm sure everyone is seeing the program in their own way.